And those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways; and Allah is most surely with the doers of good. 29:69 The Quran

Pakistan Bound to Bounce Back

and Trample all Crisis

Syed Javed Hussain

Pakistan is under dark clouds. It makes for the toughest of times for Pakistan in its small politically chequered history. Many a resilient Pakistani like Pakistans Ambassador to Libya Mr. Jamil Ahmed Khan believes that despite all odds it still cannot be called a sure recipe for total doom as nations tend to emerge from such disasters taller and tougher.

Human history is replete with examples that when nations are faced with tougher challenges they raise their level of resistance and finally emerge successful.

Japan Provides a Great Examples

Pakistanis can learn a lesson or two from Japans great transformation. In the 1940s the country was pushed to its knees nationally, economically and spiritually. The nation, however, bounced back and now stands as the second most powerful economy in the world.

At that time countrys economy was in ruins because of post-war inflation, unemployment and shortages in all areas that seemed overwhelming. It got initial impetus from Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) and then a miracle happened. Although SCAP played a crucial role in Japans initial economic recovery yet Japanese governments measures were mainly responsible for generating rapid post-war growth. Japan rose from the ashes of World War II and achieved an astoundingly rapid and complete economic recovery.

According to Mikiso Hane, Professor Emeritus 1922-2003, an internationally renowned scholar of Japanese history, Japans leap towards economic recovery in 1960s was in "the greatest years of prosperity Japan had seen since the Sun Goddess shut herself up behind a stone door to protest her brother Susano-o's misbehaviour."

Post WWII Europe Yet Another Example

There is yet another fine example in the post WWII Europe. Politically, administratively and economically a devastated wasteland that had pushed itself back a couple of centuries. In 1946/47 the Europe had extreme weather conditions which completely disrupted the system of food rationing that was further exacerbated by coal and power shortage which acutely slowed down the pace of recovery.

A timely aid in the shape of Marshall Plan (1948 to 1951) that amounted to 13 billion dollars (considering the inflation rate may come to about 100 b $ now) over a period of three years helped Europe transform itself.

US: Great Depression of 1930s

Even the US, present super power of the world and the country that has helped many economies of the world to survive and sustain, was faced with great depression of1930s that had almost written doom for the US and many other nations. Then there are nations in the Far East and in Latin America which were in bigger crisis than that of Pakistan and emerged from the gloom brighter and livelier.

These nations fought out their battle for survival with full might and national valour that could only be matched by their resilience to sustain and protect their integrity, sovereignty and prideful identity.

Although Pakistan is in for a long haul yet once the battle lines are drawn clear, it will essentially emerge successful and trample all crises.

Information

There are natural disasters, continuing terrorism, political instability and economic meltdown coupled with all-encompassing corruption.